If this is your first visit, be sure to
check out the FAQ by clicking the
link above. You may have to register
before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages,
select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below.

A major road rehabilitation and development project is to be undertaken by the Government with Chinese financial assistance in the Northern Province. Accordingly, 332 km length of roads inclusive of Kandy-Jaffna A9 highway will be developed and modernized on a proposal by President Mahinda Rajapaksa.

This road development project covering the most part of Northern Province will help to revive the economic activities of the Northern communities who have economically suffered for a long-term because of the terrorism. It is also estimated that the economic benefits of these projects to the country as a whole will be far in excess of the financial cost of the project.

Accordingly, 153 km length of Kandy-Jaffna A9 highway from Galkulama to Jaffna will be rehabilitated and modernized as part of the main gateway to the Northern Province. The other roadways that will be developed under this projects are 84 km length of Jaffna-Point Pedro AB20 road, Puttur-Meesalai AB32 road and Jaffna-Pallai AB18 roadways. Rehabilitation and improvement of 95km length of the B334, B297 and B296 roads will also take place covering the areas of Mullaitivu-Kokilai-Pulmudai roadway, Oddusudan Nedunkerney roadway and the Mullaitivu-Puliyankulam roadways as separate projects.

The total cost of the project will be US 355 million of which 85 percent will be financed by the Government of China while the local component of 15 percent will be borne by the Government of Sri Lanka.

An island country, Sri Lanka is located in the Indian Ocean 31 kilometers (19.3 mi) off the southern coast of India. Till 1972, it was called Ceylon and its official name the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka. Its strategic location makes it an important naval link between West Asia and South East Asia. Sri Lanka is a popular tourist attraction due to its landscape, beaches and tropical forests. Direct flights to Sri Lanka are available only from Asia, Europe and the Middle East. The total population of the island of Sri Lanka stood at 20,238,000 as of 2009. The island has the credit of being the most literate nation amongst developing countries with 82% literacy rate.

Sri Lanka Economy: Profile

Sri Lankan economy has registered a strong growth in the first decade of 21st century, despite suffering civil war from 1983 to 2009 and some major natural disasters. The gross domestic product of the country grew at an average rate of 5% during the war period. One of the major factors behind development and economic growth is government spending. Agricultural production, tourism, textile, apparel and tea export are the biggest economic boosters. A lot of foreign exchange also comes through overseas employment especially in the Middle East.

1980s
In the 1980s, funded by aid received from the European Community, a colonisation scheme was started at Periya Vilankulam (Mahadiulwewa) tank, 30 km north-west of Trincomalee town.[3]

The colonisation scheme was extended into the Northern province with the introduction of the Manal Aru (Weli Oya) scheme, which covered the districts of Mullaitivu, Trincomalee, Vavuniya and Anuradhapura.[9]

Sinhalese were settled in traditionally Tamil land, given land, money to build homes and security provided by the Special Task Force.[1][10] Although the scheme covered four districts, administration was handled from the Sinhalese dominated Anuradhapura district.[9] The scheme aroused much anger amongst the Tamils.[11]

This anger boiled over into violence when the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam attacked the Kent and Dollar Farm settlement at Weli Oya, killing 62.[11]

economic sectors

The main economic sectors of the country are tourism, tea export, apparel, textile, rice production and other agricultural products. In addition to these economic sectors, overseas employment contributes highly in foreign exchange, most of them from the middle

our million home gardens were to have been created under this programme to create a food surplus in the country. "However there were no facilities and structures to back this campaign and now we are importing food.